Pocadius ashei Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 31-33

Pocadius ashei Cline new species

(Figs. 4, 87, 130, 173, 212, 250)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♀ ( SNEC): BOLIVIA: LaPaz ; 6km W Yanacachi, 2150m; 16°25.95’S 67°47.07’W, 23-24-I-2001; J.S. Ashe, R. S. Hanley, ex. flight; intercept trap, BOL1AH01 048 / SM0553606 ;

KUNHM-ENT [barcode label]; HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; ashei; A. R. Cline des. 2004. 3 PARATYPE ♀ (1 SNEC, 1 ARCC) : same data label as holotype but with paratype labels and the following barcode numbers: SM0553601 , SM0553600 , SM0553614 . 1 PARATYPE ♂ ( ARCC) : BOLIVIA: LaPaz ; 9.4km E Chulumani, Apa Apa Ecol.; Reserve, 2110m, 16°20.98’S; 67°30.28’W, 17-19-I-2001, J.S. Ashe; R. S. Hanley, ex. flight intercept trap; BOL1AH01 022 / SM0553649 ; KUNHM-ENT / PARATYPE; Pocadius ; ashei; A. R. Cline des. 2004 .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other Pocadius by: reddish brown elongate pubescence; elongate pronotal and elytral fimbriae; dorsal surface densely punctate, interspaces shining; lateral setae on tibiae elongate; erect and semi-erect rows of elytral setae; antennomeres 4–6 trapezoidal, subequal; scutellum densely punctate; pronotum transverse with high W:L ratio; tegmen with complete rows of inner and lateral elongate setae; ejaculatory rods fused in apical 0.25; basal piece of internal sac sclerites with paired sharply curved pieces; ovipositor with deep intragonocoxal invagination, numerous elongate setae, and short baculi at gonocoxal base.

Description. Length 4.2mm, Width 2.6mm, Depth 1.5mm. Body robust, convex, shining, reddish brown to dark reddish brown, venter lighter than dorsum. Pronotal and elytral margins with long fimbriae, longer than antennal scape. Dorsal and ventral pubescence long and conspicuous on appendages, all pubescence reddish brown.

Head surface deeply, densely, irregularly punctate, large and small punctures interspersed on vertex, interspaces <0.25 large diameter. Large punctures 4X diameter of eye facet, smaller punctures 2X diameter eye facet; interspaces smooth and shining. Pronotal surface with large and small interspersed punctures, equal to large and small punctures on vertex; interspaces smooth and shining, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with moderately impressed small punctures, punctures equal to smaller ones on pronotum, interspaces smooth and shining. Elytra with small serial punctures equal to smaller ones on pronotum, large serial punctures 2X diameter of smaller ones. Small punctures giving rise to erect, long setae, large punctures giving rise to semierect long setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and wide between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 0.5–1 diameter, and large punctures by 0.25 diameter. Large rows separated by 2 diameters; interspaces smooth, shining. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures subequal to larger ones on pronotum; interspaces narrow, 0.25 diameter apart, smooth to alutaceous, shining.

Venter with similar long pubescence as dorsum. Mentum with shallowly impressed punctures, equal to smaller ones on vertex; interspaces smooth to alutaceous. Prosternum and epimeron with moderately impressed irregular punctures, larger than those on mentum; interspaces alutaceous with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 0.5 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.5–1 diameter. Mesoventrite with shallow punctures, subequal to those on prosternum, interspaces smooth to alutaceous, separated by 0.5 diameter, aggregated near metasternal border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate with moderately impressed punctures on disc similar to those on mesoventrite, interspaces smooth and shining on disc becoming alutaceous laterally, separated by 1–2 diameters, lateral punctures 2–3X diameter of those on metasternal disc. Abdominal sternite 1 with moderately impressed punctures, equal to those on metasternal disc, interspaces smooth to alutaceous, shining, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces smooth to alutaceous, shining, separated by 0.25 diameters.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.5:1). Antennal club compact, circular to oblong, asymmetrical, terminal antennomere 2X length of 9–10 combined. Antennomeres 4–6 trapezoidal, subequal. Antennomeres 7–8 disclike. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.5X length of pedicel. Pedicel cylindrical. Antennal segment 3 subequal to pedicel, tapering proximally. Antennal club large, 0.85 length of segments 1–8 combined. Elevated region of mentum with anterior angles obsolete, broadly hemispherical, somewhat convex in lateral view.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:2.07), anterior margin broadly deeply concave, lateral margins less arcuate posteriorly. Scutellum large, broadly triangular, apex broadly rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view moderately convex; posterior face prominent, oblique. Mesoventrite extending midway between mesocoxae, broadly shallowly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.47:1). Metepisternum with medial constriction, oblique line separating anterior 0.16. Abdominal sternite 1 with narrow process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–4 subequal. Hypopygidium subequal sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth moderately prominent, subequal to tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch absent. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomeres 1 and part of 2 combined. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and slender spines along lateral margin. Outer apical process moderately prominent, longer and more robust than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined. Metatibia with armature similar to mesotibia, apical spine more robust.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with elongate apical fimbriae; ventrally with a narrow medial fossa approaching apex in a truncate manner (Fig. 4). Tegmen broadly rounded (Fig. 87), longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.4), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to apex; elongate somewhat rectangular concavity in apical 0.3, inner row of setae complete. Median lobe elongate, 0.7 length of tegmen, apex narrowly rounded, apical opening well-developed (Fig. 130). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece, fused to each other in apical 0.33. Basal piece with paired crescent shaped pieces laterally and medially, and bilobed globular portion (Fig. 173).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts large and broadly flanged with sclerotization along median line. Gonocoxite with one basal lateral prominence, basal ridge well-sclerotized with two short and sub-parallel baculi. Intragonocoxal invagination 0.5 length of gonocoxite. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent, three to four elongate setae at apices (Fig. 212).

Variation. None observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Specimens collected from mid-late January from montane forests in Andean Bolivia.

Distribution. Known from type locality near LaPaz, Bolivia.

Notes. No host data available.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Steve Ashe, former director of the Snow Entomological Museum, for his generosity and kindness during this study.